Air bag with uninflated pocket

摘要

An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) for being inflated between an instrument panel (36) and a seat (22) of the vehicle (12) is provided. The protection device (14) includes a front portion (70) that has a panel (72) presented towards the vehicle seat (22), a rear portion (76) adjacent the instrument panel (36), and top and bottom portions (90, 92) interconnecting the front portion (70) and the rear portion (76) to define an inflatable volume (54). A pocket (100) defines an uninflated volume (102) outside of the inflatable volume (54). The pocket (100) is defined by a single panel (160) of the protection device (14). The panel (100) extends along a centerline (162) and includes an extension (180) of material on each side of the centerline (162). The extensions (180) overly one another and are interconnected along a seam (106) to form the pocket (100).

主权项

1. An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for being inflated between an instrument panel and a seat of a vehicle, the protection device comprising:
a main panel comprising first peripheral edge and a second peripheral edge, the first peripheral edge having a generally downward curved configuration with opposite ends that intersect opposite ends of the second peripheral edge, the main panel further comprising downwardly extending extensions spaced laterally from one another along the second peripheral edge, the main panel being folded over such that the extensions and the intersections of the opposite ends overlie each other, wherein overlying portions of the second peripheral edge are interconnected, the interconnection extending from overlying portions of the second peripheral edge adjacent the fold to the overlying intersections of the opposite ends; and a front panel having a periphery interconnected along the first peripheral edge of the main panel, the periphery having a length that corresponds to a length of the first peripheral edge such that interconnection of the periphery to the main panel begins at a predetermined location on the periphery of the front panel, extends around the entire periphery of the front panel, and ends at the predetermined location on the periphery; the interconnection of the overlying portions of the second peripheral edge and the interconnection of the main panel to the front panel closing an inflatable volume defined by the main panel and the front panel, wherein the interconnected extensions are inverted into the inflatable volume to define a pocket, the interconnected extensions being connected to the front panel within the inflatable volume to maintain their inverted configuration and the configuration of the pocket.